Air flow control in air method cleaners



Feb. 4, 1941. a REPLOGLE 2,230,264

AIR FLOW CONTROL IN AIR METHOD 0m Filed Aug; a, 1936 Patented Feb. 4, 1941 PATENT OFFICE AIR FLOW CONTROL IN AIR METHOD CLEANERS Daniel Benson Replogle, Berkeley, Calif.. assigno'r to The Ohio Citizens Trust Company, Toledo,

Ohio, a corporation of Application August}, 1 11 Claims??- The invention relates to cleaning apparatus "and more particularly to portable electric cleaners of the air method type, which may be selectively employed for floor cleaning purposes or by the use of suitable extension devices may be employed for cleaning walls, draperies or the like. Devices of this general character are known to the art and it is the object of the presentinvention to provide novel, simple and inexpensive means for at times connecting a floor tool of the cleaning apparatus with a source of suction and simultaneously cutting off communication between the source of suction and extension devices or the like, or for cutting oil communication between the floor tool and the suction producing means}. and simultaneously placing the extension tool, or the like, in communication with the suction producing means,

According to the present invention theabove object is attained by the use of a removable branched tubular fitting having a plurality of openings, preferably three, one of which is placed in communication with the source of suction while the other two are adapted to be placed in communication with the floor tool and with ex-' tension devices, one of the other of the latter openings being closed by a stopper while the other is unobstructed.

' The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying illustrative drawing and the following detailed description.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the assembled cleaner shown in floor cleaning position, portions being broken away to show the interior;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view showing the upper portion of the cleaner with extension cleaning members applied thereto; and

Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the branched tubular fitting.

Fig. 4 is a detailed view showing a spring holding means for retaining the fitting and cap in place upon the cleaner.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the reference numeral l0 denotes the cylindrical body portion of a cleaner of the general type illustrated in my Patent No. 1,887,600, dated November 15, 1932. In the lower part of the body is located a power plant H which may be similar to that referred to in my application Serial Number 56,384, filed December 27, 1935, now Patent No. 2,146,763, dated February 14, 1939, the power plant having a lateral discharge outlet or outlets I! in a removable cap l3, as more fully described in the aforesaid application.

hi0, as trustee 936, Serial No. 95.0ll

At the upprr nd of the body I0 is a removable cap 14 which fits within the cylindrical body. To the lower end of the cap 14 is detachably secured an air filtering and dust collecting bag [5, preferably composed of porous paper. This bag vmaybe withdrawn from the tank or cylinder l0 wh c n thecap I4 is removed. Preferably an outer coarse mesh reinforcing member l5a is likewise employed which may becomposed of cloth, wire or the like, the outer element being separately 10 removable, if desired, or it may be so arranged to be withdrawn with the inner bag and the cap l4.

At the top of the cap is a cover 16 which may be of glass or other transparent material and is provided with a centrally arranged opening I! 15 into which dust laden air is to be. drawn from either of two sources through a removable branched tubular fitting A, which'is one of the distinguishing features of the present invention and which is shown removed from the rest of the 20 apparatus in Fig, 3.

The T shaped joint, fitting or coupling A is preferably composed of hard fibre tubing, or may be made of molded Bakelite or like material, or even of light metal such as aluminum, One 25 leg l8 of the fitting is permanently secured to the top iii of the transparent dust cap while the main portion IQ of the fitting is curved and serves as a handle grip by means of which the apparatus may be moved to and fro across the 30 floor during the floor cleaning operation, and also as a handle for Withdrawing the cap I and the inner dust collecting bagl5 from the cylindrical tank or caddy Ill. The handle grip portion has an opening 20 at the end farthest from the 5 transparent cap and tubular extension devices may be attached thereto. As. shown in Fig. 2, a. collar 2|, which may be of rubber, fibre, Bakelite, or other suitable material, connects a flexible hose 22 to the handle. The handle is shown 40 as provided with a tubular nozzle 23 to which other extension devices may be attached if desired, as disclosed in my Patent No. 1,533,271, dated April 14, 1925.

- Extending laterally from the main portion 'of the fitting intermediate the leg l8 and the handle 19 is a branch 24 which is provided with a downwardly extending portion 25 adapted to be placed in communicationwith a pipe 26 through a coupler 21 which coupler is preferably a part of a fitting which connects the pipe 26 to the body part l0, Either the extension 25 or the opening 20 in the end of the handle grip portion I9 is adapted to be closed by a stopper B while the other opening remains unobstructed. The stop- -.i so

ingthe fitting A and the cap H in place.

shown, a U shaped spring member 32 fits over the branch 24 of the fitting, and is provided with inwardly projecting prongs 33 which pivot, to a' per may be also used to close one or the two exhausts l2, the hose 22 attaching to the other for blowing purposes. I

The pipe 26 is preferably of hard fiber, Bakelite," or the like, and together with the fitting A may be regarded as constituting the handle of the cleaner. At its lower end the pipe 28 is removably fitted into a connector 28 shown as an extension or the cap l3 which closes'the lower end of the body member III. In this manner the pipe 26 and the body I0 may be held in fixed, parallel, spaced relation to each other, A short length of pipe 29, which may also be of hard fibre, Bakelite, or the like, may be removably fitted into the lower end of the coupler 28, thus being placed in communication with the pipe 26 at one end, while to the lower end a floor tool 30 such as is disclosed, for example, in my Patent No.

1,994,868, dated March 19, 1935, may be detachably secured, an inclined rotatable joint 3| being preferably included as described in the aforesaid patent, to permit the tool to rest upon the floor in spite of all angular variations of the remainder of the apparatus.

Any suitable means may be employed for holdport-1on1! of the coupler 21. The holding'm'embermay be disengaged by swinging upwardly without releasing the prongs, whereupon the fittingv A, the cap [4 and the paper dust collector may be withdrawn by means of the handle portion I9.

A pollapsible, hinged, wheeled bracket C may be employed for supporting the apparatus in floor cleaning position, as illustrated in Fig. l, or may be folded downwardly against the body of the cleaner when extension members are to be applied to the upper end of the suction handle for cleaning walls, etc. The details of the construction of the bracket per se are set forth and claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 94,653, filed August 6, 1936, entitled Airmethod cleaner supports.

The operation of the cleaner will be brief{ 1y described. Assumingthat the apparatus is to be employed'for floor cleaning purposes as illustrated in Fig. '1; the bracket 0 will be opened and the cleaner may rest upon the floor tool' and the'supporting roller or rollers of the bracket. The opening at the upper end of the handle grip I9- will. be closed by the stopper B to prevent air from being drawn thereinto. The elec-- tric motor .with which the suction producing.

. means II is equipped is now turned on and dust laden'air will be drawn into the floor tool and will pass through pipes 29 and 26 into the v branched coupling A and thus throughthe transparent cover 16 into the dust collector and air filtering means [5 and l5a. The amount of dust being drawn into the apparatus may be viewed through the transparent cap. Thedust is separated from the,air by thedust filteringgmeans andis eventually discharged at 12... 1

7 When the apparatus, is to be used in repose for other than fio'or cleaningpurposes, the brack et 0 win be 'fol dd againstthe body or the cleaner seams be "aurorthe"way.. -=The--fitting 'A withthe bag"conhections may 'partlybe'Iremoved from the'cleanerand thestopper B-taken outof the opening inthe handle grip-[9 and -=placed in the opening'at the lowerendof the leg-25, afterwhich-the entire fitting is replaced,

as indicated in Fig. 2, and suitable extension cleaning members 2|, 22 and 23 applied to the open end of the handle. Dust laden air may then be drawn into'the cleaner through-the nozto without departing from the'spirit of my invention.

Iclaim: v 1. In a portable suction cleaner, including a cleaner body having a source of suction, and

' a tubular unit communicating with said source of suction and having two intercommunicating branches adapted to connect withcleaning tools at either end, said unit being slidably removable from the cleaner body, and means comprising a removable plug, adapted to close either of said branches, whereby cleaning tools connected with the other of said branches will be placed in communication with the source of suction, one branch of said tubular unit comprising a handle grip for manually moving the cleaner across the floor.

2. A tubular T joint fitting in combination-with an air-method cleaner, having a stopper fittable to either of two ends and a third end secured to a cap on the dust collector body of the cleaner and communicating with the interior thereof,

said fitting being adapted to be withdrawn lengthwise as a unit. 7

3. In a suction cleaner, a housing containing air filtering means communicating with a source of suction, a suction pipe rigidly secured atone side of said housing and communicating at one end with a cleaner tool; and a detachabletubular unitary fitting including a pair of freely communicating legs oneoi which is adapted to slidably connect with the free end of the suction unit, thereby allowing access to the interior of =the housing, the fitting being, provided with a suction handleadaptejdto be connected toa suitable cleaning tool. 1;.

4. In a suction,cleanenoithecharacter described, a pair of tubular-elementsarranged side by side, one of said tubular 'elementsicontaining air filteringmeans communicating with'a source a pipe, and the other o'f which is" provided with I a cap slidably fitting, said housing, said fitting being adapted to be withdrawn lengthwise as a of suction,'and the-jotherwbeingfadaptedlto con-g ne'ct to a cleaning toolaat one end; and a detachable fitting including?t-liree-rgigidly-connected free ly inter-communicating tubular branches, one of whichincludesa cap for the filtering means,

another being adapted to slidably. connect with the end of the othertubular element,- while the third branch comprises a tubular suction handle adaptedto be connected with suitable cleaning .tools; said fitting being slidably removable'lengthwise'as a'unit, andmeans' for controlling suction slidably fitting the,air-filtering end; of said housing, a tubular element arranged at one side .of saidhou'singwitlione end adjacent the filtering end of said housing, the other end bein'g'con 5. In a portable'suctioifcleaner, anounsg-esm -",tai i'iing air filteriiig'ineans" at one efid'dominllnii :cating ,with a? source-pixsuction, a removablecap nectible to a cleaning tool, and a detachable fitting having three intercommunicating branches, one of which is secured to said removable cap, a stopper fittable t the open end of either of the other branches, one of which is slidably con terior thereof, and a branch pipe extending 1at-" orally from said suction handle, and having an open-end slidably fitting the other of said tubular elements, and means for controlling the suction in the handle and the lateral branch, said suction handle, cap, and branch pipe being adapted to be withdrawn axially as a unit from said tubular elements.

'I. In a suction cleaner, a pair of tubular elements arranged side by side, a cap slidably fitting one of said tubular elements, an open ended suction handle extending from said cap and secured thereto, a branch pipe extending laterally from said suction handle, and having 'an open end slidably fitting the other of said tubular elements, said suction handle, cap, and branch pipe being adapted to be withdrawn axially as a unit from said tubular elements, and a stopper adapted to be fitted into the open end of either the branch pipe or the suction handle for cutting off communication with said cap.

8. In a suction cleaner, a pair of tubular elements arrangedv side by side, one of said elements including air filtering means at one end communicating with a source of suction and a cap at the air filtering end thereof, a unitary branched fitting comprising a curved open ended suction handle for manipulating the cleaner projecting from said cap and a branch pipe extending laterally from said suction handle and adapted to slidably fit the other of said tubular elements, and means for controlling suction through said fitting.

9. In a portable suction cleaner, a housing containing air filtering means at one end communicating with a source of suction, a removable cap slidably fitting the air filtering end of said housing, a tubular element arranged at one side of said housing with one end adjacent the filtering end of said housing, the other end being connectible to a cleaning 'tool', a suction handle secured at one end to said cap and the other end being connectible to extension elements, and a branch pipe extending laterally" from the suction handle, intermediate its ends with its free end slidably fittingthe top of said tubular element, said suction handle, cap and branch pipe being adapted to be slidably withdrawn as a unit from said housing and tubular element, and means for controlling the direction of fluid flow in the branchpipe and suction handle.

10. In a portable suction cleaner, a pair of tubular elements arranged side by side and rigidly connected; one of said elements including suction producing means, and a branched tubular fitting serving to connect adjacent ends of said tubular elements, and having two branches adapted to communicate with each of said tubular elements and a third branch adapted to serve as a suction handle adapted to be connected to a suitable cleaning tool, said fitting being slidably removable lengthwise as a unit from said tubular elements, and means for controlling the direction of fiuid flow through said fitting.

11. In combination with a dust collector comprising a cylindrical housing containing air filtering means communicating with a scurce of suction, a removable cap for said housing, a tubular element secured parallel to the cylindrical housing with one end communicating with a suitable cleaning tool, and the free end adjacent said air filtering means, and a fitting having three tubular branches, one being secured to said cap, another being slidably connectible to the free end of said tubular element,

and a third comprising a suction handle, and a stopper fittable 'to the open end of either of said last named branches for at will cutting ofi communication with the branch which is secured to said removable cap.

DANIEL BENSON REPLOGLE. 

